Battery-holder for automobiles.



No. 796,517. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

F. JACKSON.

BATTERY HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED snmzv, 1004.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2b M g H. J v w /4 u/., 6 7 a B m No. 796,517. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

' F. JACKSON.

BATTERY HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED snmzv, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 5 is i 4% i W331 ununm Illl 4 Wizlrceasess 5 87 ago 7 xa I I g zi fifzg- UNITED STATES PATENT -oiurion.

FRANK JACKSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JACKSONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A COMPANY ORGANIZED UNDERTHE LAWS OF COLORADO.

BATTERY-HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed September 27, 1904. Serial No. 226,143.

T 0 (ti/Z Lu/tom, 7173 may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK JAoKsoN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica. residing in the city and county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBattery-Holders for Automobiles; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertai'ns to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in spark-generating battery-holdersand attachments therefor used in connection withgasolene or othervapor-operated automobiles.

The object of my invention is to provide a battery-holder in which thebatteries can be instantaneously connected in the spark-producingcircuit without the necessity of wiring said batteries to each other,thus enabling a person to Withdraw a battery from the holder and replacethe same without the time and hother consequent upon connecting anddisconnecting wires, the batteries being maintained in positiveconnection with each other and with the holder and the said holder beingconnected by circuit-wires with the cylinder of the engine in the usualmanner, the current through the batteries and cylinder being utilized tointermittently produce a spark in the cylinder by the well-known circuitmaking and breaking mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means forconnecting the circuitwires to the battery-holder in order that they maybe quickly attached and detached; and the invention further consists inmeans for securely holding the several batteries in the holder orcasing, so to prevent their rattling or shaking while the vehicle is inmotion.

These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a front elevation of thepreferred form of my improved battery-holder, the

nter or door being removed to show the batteries iaoptnative position.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the battery-holder and batteries, the top ofthe holder being removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional viewtaken centrally through one of the compartments of the holder, thebattery being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of oneof the spring-catches which are secured'at the upper end of eachcompartment of the holder in position to receive the carbons of thebatteries. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the upper end of one of theend compartments of the holder, showing a washer secured to the rearside thereof, through which a retainingscrew is passed. Fig. 6 is anedge view of the washer shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 in a sectional view ofaportion of a holder, illustrating a modification in which the batteriesare held in an inverted position. Fig. 8 is a front view of acompartment of a battery-holder, illustrating another manner ofretaining the battery in operative position, a spring-pressed plungerbeing employed which bears uponthe carbon, while a metal jacketpartially surrounds the carbon. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a portionof a holder, illustrating still another modification in which thebattery rests upon a metal plate and is held down by a spiralplate-spring which bears upon the carbon. Fig. 10 is a plan'view of theform of holder shown in Fig. 7, and Fig. 11 is a plan view of theplate-spring shown in Fig. 9.

Gasolene or other vapor-operated automobiles employ a sparking devicefor igniting the vapor at each alternate stroke of the engine-piston.The device in common use consists of a plurality of dry batteriesinclosed in a suitable box or holder connected in acircuit with thepiston-chamber of the engine, the battery box or holder being suitablysecured to any part of the automobile convenient of access to theattendant. The batteries as at present employed are connected by wiresin the ordinary manner, and to disconnect a spent battery and replace itwith a fresh one requires a considerable expenditure of time andtrouble, and the rattling of the bat teries, due to the motion of thevehicle, occasions no little annoyance. My present device is designed tocompletely overcome these objections.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 refers to a suitable box orcasing which I term the battery-holder and which is divided bypartitions 2 into compartments 3. In Figs. 1

and 2 I have shown a holder having four compartments in a row; but anynumber of compartments may be employed, and they may be arranged in adouble row, if desired. At the bottom of each compartment 3 is suitablyse; cured a metal socket4, comprising a plate having a plurality ofintegral upturned resilient members 5, which substantially inclose thelower end of an ordinary dry battery 6. The members 5 of the sockets arecurved at their upper ends to conform to the contour of the batteries,and they incline slightly toward the centers of the sockets, so thatthey must be sprung outward when a battery is inserted, the resiliencyof the members causing them to tightly clamp the lower portions of thebatteries. Beginning with the first compartment toward the left theupturned members 5 of the socket, adjoining the next compartment, isformed with an upwardly-extending conductor-arm 7, which reaches nearlyto the top of the compartment. It is then formed with a right-angledportion 8, which extends rearward to the back of the compartment, whereit is bent to form an extension 9, which passes through a slit in thepartition and extends over into the adjoining compartment, where it issecured to the rear side of the holder by a screw 10, which also securesa springclamp 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Thus the socket of onecompartment by its cond uctor-arm is connected with the spring-clamp ofthe next compartment to the right, and so on in this manner until thelast compartmentis reached, when the upwardly-extending arm 12 of thelast socket is connected by a screw 13 with an improved form ofbinding-post 14:, which will be more fully hereinafter described. Thespring-clamp 11 of the first compartment connects with a conductor 15,which is secured to the end of the holder by a screw 16, which alsosecures a bindingpost 17, similar to the post 14 at the opposite end ofthe holder. The spring-clamps are preferably stamped from suitable sheetmetal,

and the blank thus formed is then bent to form side jaws 11', which areparallel and a suitable distance apart, and a spring plate ort'ongue 11which extends over and slightly above the jaws. The closed ends of theclamps are provided with holes 11 through which the retaining-screws 10pass. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the batteries areplaced in the sockets 1 and the carbons are passed between the jaws 11of the clamp 11, which securely hold them against lateral movement,while the spring plate or tongue 11 will press upon the top of thecarbons and prevent the upward movement of the batteries caused by thejolting of the automobile. The ends of the plate and side jaws of thespring-clamp are outwardly bent, as shown, to enable the carbon to bemore easily and quickly inserted, and the said tongue and jaws exert asufficient tension to securely hold the battery against movement in anydirection.

The improvedbi nding-post, which is shown in section upon theleftendof-the holder, is constructed in the following manner: A screw 16 passesthrough a conductor and through the end of the holder and also through ametal plate or washer 18, which is suitably secured upon the outside ofthe end of the holder, preferably by forming prongs upon its edge, whichare driven into the end of the holder. A thimble 19, one end of which isclosed and is provided with a central aperture, is then slid upon theprojecting end of the screw, its closed end abutting against the plate18. A coiled spring 20 is next placed over the screw within the thimble19, and a cupped plate 21 is secured upon the end of the screw,preferably by riveting, the said plate being positioned just inside theouter end of the thimble, which is flared, as shown, to form a rim whichcan be conveniently grasped by the finger or thumb of an attendant. Thespring 20 is compressed between the plate 21 and the end of the thimble,and the expansive tension caused thereby holds the thimble firmlyagainst the washer 18 upon the end of the holder. The binding-post 17 isconnected by a circuit-wire 22 with the piston-chamber of the engine,and the binding-post 1 1 at the opposite end of the holder is alsoconnected with the said piston-chamber by a circuit-wire 23. The ends ofthese wires 22 and 23, which are attached to the binding-posts, are eachprovided with a suitable metallic hook 2 1, and to attach the wire tothe binding-post it is only necessary to pull the thimble 19 out aslight distance and place the hook 24 upon the screw of thebinding-post, and upon releasing the thimble the spring 20 will force itagainst the hook 24, which will then be securely clamped between thethimble and the washer 18 on the end of the holder. When wires 22 and 23are attached to their respective binding-posts, a circuit extendingthrough the batteries and piston-chamber is established, the currentfrom the first battery passing from its zinc casing to the socket 4: andthence through conductor-arm.7 and spring-clamp 11 to the carbon of thesecond battery and thence in this order through the several batteries tothe binding-post 14 and circuit-wire 23, through wire 23 to sparkingmechanism, and thence to piston-chamber,returning through wire 22 tobinding-post 17, and through conductor 15 and spring-clamp 11 to carbonof first battery. This manner of connecting the batteries with eachother is simple and positive, doing away with the present troublesomewiring system and providing for instantaneously connecting anddisconnecting the batteries in a circuit, while the spring-clamps andsockets securely hold the batteries and prevent rattling and at the sametime afford ample contact area for the passage of the currenteIlge'efthe holder and extending from end to end thereof is secured astrip of wood 25 of a width that will not interfere with the re-.

moval and replacing of the batteries, and upon the bottom edge of theholder is secured a strip 26, similar to the strip 25. A door 27 fitsbetween these two strips, and this door is provided on its inner sidenear its ends with metal strips or cleats 28, which extend a slightdistance below the lower edge of the door. These cleats are preferablyin the form of angle-bars and, as shown in Fig. 2, practically abutagainst the inner side of the ends of the holder, and thus preventendwisemovement of the door. The ends of the cleats which extend belowthe lower edge of the door engage the inner side of the strip 26, andthus secure the lower edge of the door, while the upper edge is securedby a hook 29 or by any other suitable fastening device, and by thisconstruction the door is easily and quickly removed and re placed. 30,by which the holder is secured to the automobile, pass through washers31, which are I provided with integral prongs 32, that are driven intothe rear side of the holder, as shown in Fig. 5, and these washersprevent the screw-holes in the holder from wearing, owing to theconstant jolting of the automobile while in motion. and-the holder isthus prevented from shaking or rattling upon its retaining-screws.

In Fig. 7 I illustrate a different manner of connecting the batteries.The holder 1 is open at the top and is of less depth than the height ofthe battery, and in the bottom of each compartment is placed aninsulating plate 33, preferably fiber, having a central aperture 34 ofsuitable diameter. Upon the plate 33 a socket 4 is secured, said socketbeing similar to the sockets 4 (shown in-Figs. 1, 2, and 3 with theomission of the conductorarm) and being provided with a central aperture 4 similar to the one in the plate 33. Beneath the insulating-plate isa metal strip 35, having at one end a pair of vertically-disposed springclamping-jaws 36, which extend up through the apertures in the fiberplate 33 and socket 4f, while the opposite end of this strip extendsinto the adjoining compartment and is secured to the socket 4 thereinpreferably by passing between the socket and fiber plate,

so that a single screw 37 will secure the socket, fiber plate, and stripto the bottom of the holder. With this arrangement of holder the batteryis inverted and placed in the holder from the top, so that the carbonpoint will be held by the clamping-jaws 36, while the lower end of thebattery will be clamped by the socket 4 The batteries are held down byspringcatches 38, secured to the holder, having lateral projections 39,which rest upon the top of the batteries. The current passes in throughthe carbon of the first battery and out through the zinc of the lastbattery, the clampingjaws in any one compartment being insulated fromthe socket in the same compartment, as shown.

The retaining-screws In the modification shown in Fig. 8 the socket isdispensed with and a spring-metal jacket 40 partially surrounds thebattery, the said jacket having an integral conductor-arm 41, whichextends into the adjoining compartment and connects With the carbon ofthe battery in that compartment, the means of connection be ing aplunger comprisinga disk 42, which rests upon the top of the carbon,having a stem 43, which extends through the conductor 41 and through thetop of the holder, and a helical spring 44, which is interposed betweenthe conductor and the disk 42 of the plunger and holds the said batteryagainst upward movement.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 9 the battery rests upon theintegral ring portion 45 of a metal disk 46, which is secured to thebottom of the compartment, and one end of a conductor 47 is secured tothis disk. This conductor extends up and overinto the adjoiningcompartment, and its other end is formed into a spiral spring-plate 48,which rests upon the carbon of the battery in that compartment and holdsit against upward movement.

The device herein illustrated and described is simple and thoroughlypractical, and while specially adapted for use in gasolene or othervapor-operated automobiles it is applicable in any case where a seriesof batteries is employed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a battery-holder, a box comprising a plurality of compartments; ametal socket secured at the bottom of each compartment; a conductorextending from the socket of one compartment, into the upper end of theadjoining compartment and aspring-clamp connected with the end of saidconductor substantially as described.

2. In a battery-holder, a box comprising a plurality of compartments; asocket comprising abase-plateand integral resilient side members,secured at the bottom of each compartment; a conductor extending fromthe socket of one compartment into the upper end of the adjoiningcompartment; and a springclamp connected with the end of said consductor, and to a wall of the compartment, substantially as described.

3. In a battery-holder, a box comprising a plurality of compartments; aresilient batterysupport in the bottom of each compartment; aspring-clamp in the top of each compartment, and a conductor connectingthe battery-support in one compartment, with the springclamp in theadjoining compartment; a binding-post connected With the firstspring-clamp of the series, and a binding-post connected with the lastbattery-support of the series,sub-

stantially as shown.

4. The combination with a battery-holder, comprising a series ofcompartments, of a resilient metal socket at oneend of each compartment;a spring-clamp at the other end of each compartment, and conductorswhich connect the socket in each compartment,with the spring-clamp inthe adjoining compartment, substantially as shown.

5. The combination with a battery-holder comprising a plurality ofcompartments, of a resilient metal support in each end of eachcompartment, and a conductor in each compartment, which connects thesupport at one end of that compartment with the support at the oppositeend of the adjoining compartment, substantially as described.

6. In a battery-holder, a box partitioned into a series of compartments,a resilient, metal socket in one end of each compartment, a metal clampat the other end of each compartment; and conductors which connect thesocket of each compartment with the metal clamp of theadjoiningcornpartment; a bindingpost at one end of the holder connectedwith the adjoining metal clamp; a bindingpost at the opposite end of theholder, connected With'the adjoining socket, strips which extend acrossthe upper and lower edges of said holder from end to end; and a doorwhich fits between said strips, having cleats upon its inner side whichextend below the lower edge of the door and engage the inner face of thelower strip, and fastening means at its upper end, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK JACKSON.

Witnesses:

Gr. SARGENT ELLIOTT, BESSIE THoMPsoN.

